Always Call First

I wasted a ton of time today. Not that I have anything better to do, mind you. I could have stayed home and done laundry, made cookies, or even picked my nose. I am just plain annoyed... with myself and the business I went to find...


Ok - here's the deal. I need a shed for my lawn tractor and various other power tools. I saw an ad in the paper for a bunch of sheds - different sizes, different window and door options, different colors, etc. The ad was at least a 6 inch by 6 inch square ad. This is Not a tiny classified ad.

I get everyone up and moving early. I drop #1 Son off at basketball. I get the grandparents in gear. I stuff everyone into the car and take off. Grandpa is thrilled - this is guy shopping. We drive... 40 min later we are almost there.

I think I am going to a large shed manufacturer/distributor. I must be an idiot to think this!! Why would I think this? Could it be the ad size? Lesson #1 - Size of ad has nothing to do with size of business location. We turned around at least 3 times because we missed it. It is a teeny tiny house with teeny tiny numbers on a teeny tiny mailbox in a busy business district on a very busy street. Every other business around this teeny tiny house was a large business with signage and everything.

It gets better... The guy isn't there - heck, he isn't HOME!!! Aaargh!!!

What do I do next? I call him - light dawns late... Lesson #2 - Call first. I leave a message that says I will be in town for another hour and if he calls me before I head home, I will go back. One hour and 15 min. later he calls me. Too late! He says, "Uh, well, uh, I am usually here in the afternoon." I had a million thoughts running through my head like: Do only morons shop for sheds before noon? Can't I purchase shed in the morning? Is it illegal? My response was more on the lines of "Ummm OK." Maybe his ad should include his wacky hours!!!

We did see a couple of his sheds. They are very nice. I will probably get one, but I will call first.